VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBS #0533 1000524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090524Z APR 08
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
UNCLAS USEU BRUSSELS 000533
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/I
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID IZ EUN
SUBJECT: ENCOURAGING GREATER REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH IRAQ
REF: A. STATE 35471
B. BRUSSELS 0451
C. BRUSSELS 0446
D. BRUSSELS 0108
1. (U) EU contacts confirmed that the EU will be represented
at the Expanded Neighbors process on April 22 in Kuwait by
Slovenian Presidency Foreign Minister Rupel, Council desk
officer for Iraq Sophie Kisling, and Commission Deputy
Director-General for the Middle East Hugues Mingarelli.
Council HiRep Javier Solana and Commissioner for External
Affairs Benita Ferrero Waldner will both be in Japan for the
EU-Japan summit meeting on 22 April and thus are unable to
attend the Expanded Neighbors meeting. Council contact
understands both French FM Kouchner and British FM Miliband
will also attend the neighbors meeting. EU participation in
the May 29 Stockholm ministerial meeting of the International
Compact with Iraq has not yet been determined. Council
contact assured us that encouraging debt relief, diplomatic
representation, general establishment of friendly relations,
and (where appropriate) non-interference are routinely
included in their talking points with Arab governments.
2. (SBU) PM Maliki will visit Brussels on 16 and 17 April and
will meet with EU officials on the 16th as follows:
President of the European Parliament Han-Gert Poettering,
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and
Secretary General/High Representative of the Council Javier
SIPDIS
Solana.
Murray
.